Combination desk and chair



Feb. 8, 1938. A. J. WILKlN COMBINATION DESK AND CHAIR 2 sheets-snee: 1

Filed Sept. 2, 1936 Feb. 8, 1938. A. J. WILKIN I 2,307,404

COMBINATION DESK AND 'CHAIR Filed sept. 2, 193e 2 sheets-sheet 2 f Y j Patented Feb. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

My invention relates generally to furniture, and more particularly to a combination desk and chair for the convenience of a person engaged in reading, writing or drafting.

The principal objects of my invention, are to provide a combination desk and chair that includes a pair of substantially parallel vupright cabinets that provide in effect, the sides and arms of the chair, and said cabinets being provided with shelves and compartments for the .accommodation of books, stationery, letter files and the like, further to arrange between said cabinets, an adjustable seat for the occupant of the combined desk and chair, further to combine with the upright cabinets, a swinging table adapted to support a typewriter, a drawing board or the like, and further to combine with the cabinets various accessories for the convenience of the user of the combined desk and chair; for

2O instance, a swinging dictionary holder, an adjustable foot and leg rest, an adjustable copyvholder and an adjustable reading lamp.

Further objects of my invention are, to provide a combined desk and chair of the character refered to that is very compact, so as to occupy comparatively little floor space, the cabinets forming the sides of the chair being mounted on casters to facilitate movement from one position to another and to construct the parts yof the combined desk and chair so that the same may be easily and quickly disassembled and packed so as to occupy comparativelylittle space while in storage or during transportation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and-arrangements of partsthat will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a combined desk and chair constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is .a front elevation view.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 Of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. j,

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 'I-l of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail section taken onk Fig. 9 is a detail section enlarged, taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail section taken on the line IU-I of Fig. 6.

Fig. 11 is a detail elevational View of an ad- 5 justable connection between the seat-black and the side braces therefor.

Fig. 12 is `a detail section showing a drawing board adjustably mounted on the board or table that normally carries the typewriter. v 10 Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, Iii and II designate substantially rectangular upright cabinets that function as the A sides of the chair, said cabinets being preferably formed of sheet metal and each cabinet is sup- 15 ported by a plurality of casters I2 that enables the completed structure to be readily moved from one position to another. These cabinets have the same over-all dimensions and the space Within the cabinets may be divided by shelves andv 20 partitions into compartments adapted to receive books, letter files and accessories generally utilized by Writers, draftsmen and readers.

In Fig. 6 the lefthand cabinet is shown in elevation, and this cabinet is provided with three 25 horizontally disposed shelves I3 and one vertically disposed partition I4.

.The space to one side of the partition I4 is occupied by a plurality of drawers I5, preferably formed of sheet metal and adapted to contain writing material such as paper, carbon paper, cardboard, envelopes and the like.

Where the drawers are utilized for containing writing paper, sheets of carbon and the like, the front walls of the drawers are provided with 35 apertures I6 that are extended a short distance rearwardly in the bottoms of the drawers as illustrated in Fig. 10.

Such construction enables the individual drawers to be pulled out and the ends of the sheets of paper within the Withdrawn drawer to be pushed upward to facilitate removal.

Formed in the inner edges of the front Walls I'I of the cabinets are vertically disposed rows of spaced apertures I 8, .and adapted to be re- 4 movably positioned therein, are hooks I 9 that are formed on the centers of rods 20. These rods are positioned in hems that are formed in the ends of a flexible member 2| thus providing a foot and leg rest that may be disposed at dif- 5'()y ferent elevations between the front portions of the cabinets. (See Figs. 3 and 4.)

Positioned in the partition I4 of the lefthand cabinet adjacent the inside face of said cabinet is a tube 22, and mounted to rotate freely therein,

- thereupon.

is the lower'portion of a vertically disposed shaft 23. Carried by thisV shaft just above the top of the cabinet,'is the upper race 24 of a ball bearing that restsY on balls and the latter bearing on a lower race that is fixed on top of the cabinet.

Secured to shaft 23 just above upper race 24, is a horizontally disposed table 26 that provides a support for a typewriting machineV T, and se- Vcured to the under side of this table.V are rubber studs 21 that form feet thatV rest on top of the front portions of the cabinets, thus cushioning the table when the writing machine is positioned Obviously, table 26 may be utilized as a support for writing paper or for drawing paper. Secured lon the upper surfaceof the table 25 at the end opposite the'end that isconnectedto shaft 23, is a handle 28 by means of which the table may be conveniently swung'from` one position to another.

In Figs. 1 and 6 Vthe table is shown in Van outof-the-way'position above the front end of the lefthand cabinet, and dotted linesI in Fig. 1 show .the table swung into position so as to span the space between the front portions of the cabinets.' 1 Y Y Y .The upperportionof shaftV 23 is threaded and said threadedY portion extends through an aperture V2&1-,that isformed in a iangev 30 at the lower end of anl upwardly projecting inclined copy-holder-.Slyand',positioned on the threaded portion'of the shaft above and below said flange 30 are -nuts V32.

Such construction enables the copy-holder to Y be raised :or lowered to the desired convenientposition. Projecting horizontally from the upper end of copy-holder 3| is a flange 33 in which is formed -an aperture 34. y

VMounted to rotate irl-aperture 34 is a tubular VVfitting 35,and seatednin the `upper end of this fitting -is one endof a flexible tube 36, the opposite Aend `of which `carries an electric lamp 31 and a reflectorj38. The-lower portion of fitting 35 that projects through aperture 34 is threaded for vthe receptionV of anut v40, which nut engages a Washer 4l vthat is ,positioned against the under sidefoff-flafnger33, and electric conductors 42 lead from a suitable'source of current supply through the fitting 35 and through the flexible conduit 36 toi-lamp 31. Y Y

By loosening nut 40,the flexible conduit 36 carrying the electric lamp may besWung into any desired position and locked in such position afterv such movement by tightening the nut 40'.`

Seated -in the outer portion of the' partition l I4a intherig-hthand cabinet, and which partition corresponds with the partition I4 in the lefthand cabinet, is a tubef43 thatprovides a bear- *ing for a vertically disposed shaft 44, and pro- .jecting upwardly and inclined from said shaft is an arm 45.7 The upper end'of-this arm is positioned between bracketsH 46 that are secured to the under side -of -an inclined -holder41 that is adapted to receive ya large book such as a dictionaryVV and passing through said brackets 46 and the yupper end of arm 45,-is a `bolt 48 the threaded end of which receives a` winged nut 49. `The construction just described provides means VVwhereby the book lsupport 41 may be swung about'the axis formed-byV the shaft 44, and Vsaid support may be' shifted into different inclined 'positions 'and locked after such/'adjustrnent by tightening winged nut 49 on `the bolt 48.

Positioned directly against the inner edges rof theshelves I3of Yboth cabinets are vertically disposed .seat Vhangerscomprising straps-50 -on which are formed inverted L-shaped hooks 5IV that engage, over beads on` the edges of said shelves.

These straps are for the support of the adjustable seat and the members of the front pair of straps are disposed near the centers of the Vcabinets while the members of the rear paiiof straps `are positioned adjacent the rear ends of said cabinets. These straps are retained in position on the shelves by meansof screws 52 which pass through the intermediate portions oi said straps and engage beneath the edgesV of theV ad- K Formed through the upper porv 4tions of the straps 5U are apertures 53 for the jacent shelves.

accommodation `of the bolts Ythat adjustably'securethe seat to the straps.

The seat comprises a suitable framework, pref- -erably formed of metal, and Ywhichincludes a Y.pair of transverse channels 54, the ends of whichr f are bent downwardly at right angles so as to Ylie directly `against the faces of the strapsY 50. The

downwardly bent vendsof these channels are provided with perforations that receive bolts '55, and which latter pass through any of the apertures 53 ,so as torconnect the transverse channelsl to the-straps 56 Vand the threaded` ends, of .said bolts receive winged nuts '56.*

. Supported by the end portions of the transverse channels-54 are longitudinally disposed rails 51, which in turn support a panel 558, preferablyY of metal', that provides a seat.V

Connected bya -hinge59 to the Vrear ingseat-back 60, `andsecured to the sides thereof, are staples 6|.- Passing through each staple is a toothed bar .62,1 the teeth Vof which are adapted to engage' the'lower portion of the `corresponding staple andthe forward lower Yend ofV each bar is pivotally connected to an arm v63, the forward 'lower end of 1 which is pivotally con.- nected to the intermediate portion of the of the seat frame.

The construction just described provides sim-V' ple and effective means for adjusting the angularity of the seat-back, and to rml-y hold the same in its-adjusted position. When the ytoothed rails 162 occupy inclined positions, as illustrated end'Y 0f. the-,seat is anV upwardly andrearwardly projectside Y in Fig. 6 and by solid vlines in Fig. 1-1, the rails cannot move upward-afsufiicient distance to disengage the teeth Y,from 'the IOWSI portions of the Vstaples 6|. Y Y A Whenfit -is desired to the set-back, the rear vendsof thearms 63 `are swung upwardly and forwardly ythereby swinging the notched bars 62 into practically `horizontal'planes or lpositions substantially at right change the inclination of i angles to the plane occupied'by the staples 6l,

and when so positioned the'notched bars may be lifted a sufficient distance to disengage the teeth thereof fromthe lower portions of the staples and thus permitting said bars to be moved forwardly or backwardly to effect the desired ady illustrated .a drawing board 'y 69. Except as mentioned above the table 26a is the same and is mounted in the same manner as the table 26. y

By providing a plurality of apertures in the ears 65, the drawing board 69 may be adjusted vertically for a certain distance and the bolts 6l provide an axis upon which the board may be tilted to adjust its inclined position.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a relatively simple, practical and inexpensive combination desk and seat that is particularly applicable for the use of persons engaged in reading, writing, drawing and the like, and the cabinets that form the sides or arms of the seat being provided with shelves and compartments for the accommodation of books, writing material and accessories generally used by the occupant of the seat.

The table that provides a support for a typewriting machine or the like, may be readily swung so as to bring the typewriting machine into and out of position for use and the occupant of the seat between the cabinets may conveniently reach all of the equipment and accesso-ries that are mounted upon and stored within the cabinets.

Thus it will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved combination desk' cabinet, a seat removably Aand adjustably secured y to said hangers between said cabinets, said cabi- Y nets having the same over-all size and shape to permit the consolidation thereof into a compact assembly for convenient storage upon the re moval of said seat.

2. The structure of claim 1, said hangers each having a plurality of spaced apertures formed therein, and said seat having means adapted for selective seating in said apertures.

3. The structure of claim 1, said hangers each having a plurality of spaced apertures formed therein, and said seat having means adapted for selective seating in said apertures, and means connecting the front portions of said cabinets together, said means comprising a removable foot rest.

ARTHUR J. WILKIN. 

